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China: Technological Innovation Serving Better Lives and Human-Centered Cities

An ongoing development is the project announced in August 2025, where China took a significant step toward a paradigm shift in its urban and technological development by presenting a detailed strategic plan to transform its cities by 2035 into “cities…

The locus of governance is inexorably shifting towards urban epicenters.

Traditional, formal democracy — long associated with the nation-state — is waning, becoming mired in ideological wars and increasingly disconnected from the daily concerns of people’s lives. Direct democracy, however, is poised to flourish at the municipal level, where citizens…

Environmental Optimism over Despair: Cities Are Key to Fighting Climate Change

“Whoever you are, wherever you are, we need you now to stand outside your parliament or local government office to let them know that we demand climate action.” These words, pronounced by Greta Thunberg on December 12, 2018, changed my…

Reducing urban violence

For the World Forum on Urban Violence, Madrid, 19-21 April 2017, Johan Galtung wrote an editorial piece for Transcend Media Service which we reproduce in full here. Mayors from around the world, Ladies and Gentlemen, To reduce direct violence in…